Across the street from the Mairie (Town Hall), next to the chuch and town war memorial.

A brass inscribed plaque attached to a large redsand stone rock.

The memorial rememberes the 14th Armored Division - "The Liberators" that fought here during enemy offensive, "Operation Norwind" in January and February 1945.

14TH ARMORED DIVISION
U.S. ARMY
ARDENNES - ALSACE
RHINELAND
"LIBERATORS"
CENTRAL EUROPE
HATTEN

OPERATION "NORDWIND," HITLER'S LAST OFFENSIVE OF THE WAR, WAS INTENDED TO OVERRUN ALSACE BY DESTROYING THE ALLIED ARMIES THERE AND RECAPTURING STRASBOURG. EIGHT GERMAN DIVISIONS WERE COMMITTED TO THIS CAMPAIGN.

DURING JANUARY 1945, THE U.S. ARMY'S 14TH ARMORED DIVISION, WITH EXCEPTIONAL LEADERSHIP, COURAGE, TENACITY AND VALOR, FULLY ENGAGED ONE PANZER DIVISION AND TWO PANZER GRENADIER DIVISIONS IN BITTER BATTLE.

THE 14TH ARMORED DIVISION SUCCEEDED IN BLUNTING AND STOPPING THE GERMAN ATTACK. AFTER THIS BLOODY CAMPAIGN, THE GERMANS WITHDREW TOWARDS GERMANY.

THE DIVISION SUFFERED SEVERE CASUALTIES DURING THIS PERIOD OF EXTREMELY HEAVY COMBAT: 104 KIA, 900 WIA, 112 MIA.

THE RESIDENTS OF THIS BATTLE AREA SUFFERED MANY DEATHS AND MUCH DESTRUCTION DURING THE FIGHTING.

AFTER THE WAR, GENERAL JACOB L. DEVERS, U.S.A., 6TH ARMY GROUP, ATTESTED TO THE FEROCITY OF THIS CAMPAIGN WHEN HE SAID: "AT HATTEN AND RITTERSHOFFEN, THE 14TH ARMORED DIVISION FOUGHT ONE OF THE GREATEST DEFENSIVE BATTLES OF THE WAR."